Different from the addiction, homelessness and mental health struggles that had her in a vise grip for decades. Different from the pain and isolation that had been part of her life for so long.

Anna can trace her struggles back to trauma and codependency that began when she was young. “It felt as though the only way to be seen and heard was to act out. I was always getting in trouble,” she remembers. “I found my solace in drugs.”

The drugs always temporarily numbed her hurt, but it never stayed away for long. Things only spiraled further when her mom passed away. Eventually, Anna found herself in jail. After her release, with no home to call her own, she bounced around from friend to friend.

But finally, one of those friends pointed her to Hope Ministries. 

“I knew I needed more than a job. I needed something that was going to teach me some life skills. I needed rules and structure,” she says. 

Today, more than a year and a half later, Anna is a changed woman living a changed life! She dedicated herself to our life recovery program and is now clean and sober and off probation. Best of all, she’s learning to lean on God. 

“I have found solace in the Lord. My identity in Christ has become how I see myself.”

“With the Lord’s help, I’ve overcome my bipolar disorder. I’ve gotten my high school diploma,” she says. “And I’ve been basic life support certified.” 

Anna is excited about the new possibilities in front of her as she considers how God is going to use her life. She’s currently enrolled in Change Course, a local career development program that provides training in highly sought-after skills, as well as leadership and personal development. She was hesitant to apply for the program at first, but with a friend’s encouragement and a ton of prayer, she went for it.

The verse that encouraged Anna as she completed the application was Hebrews 11:1: “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of what we cannot see.”

Faith in God’s plan for her life is what motivates Anna now as she maintains her sobriety and looks to the future.

In addition to being grateful to God for changing her life, Anna is grateful to you. “To me, donors are so important. They’re the reason I’m here. I really don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have this place. Thank you, donors, for all you’ve done!”